The Centers seeks to connect with patients virtually

Published: Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 10:34 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 10:34 p.m.

The community’s leading mental health treatment facility is seeking federal help to keep patients away, so to speak.

The Centers seeks a grant to help fund a move toward telepsychiatry, wherein patients could be treated via computer within their own homes or in other locations.

That would be in lieu of visiting the clinic in person, something many patients find burdensome, if not troubling, according to Charles R. Powell, executive director of The Centers.

Powell said the agency wants to apply for an infrastructure grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The funding would help pay for new computers and related equipment.

Powell estimated as much as $40,000 would be needed to launch the program. But it is unclear how much the federal government would have available until the application is actually submitted, he added.

One component needed to apply is the support of the County Commission.

Powell said the USDA requires the backing of local government as part of a 19-point application checklist.

Commissioner David Moore has advocated in two recent meetings that the board approve a letter of support.

A draft of the correspondence points out that the sheer size of Marion County, and the lack of a far-reaching public transportation network, leaves many low-income residents without regular access to mental health care.

“Research has ... demonstrated that problems of rural and nonmetropolitan areas are unique and created by low population density, limited economic/employment opportunities, diverse cultures and levels of poverty. Certainly Marion County is familiar with these challenges,” the draft letter states.

The USDA’s grant would help “put important, new technology into place and provide services to rural residents more effectively and efficiently. These services are critical to Marion County’s positive development and the health care of rural residents. Specifically, the age of telepsychiatry and e-therapy is arriving with less expensive technology becoming rapidly available to implement these services.”

So far, the request has stalled because the rest of the commission was unfamiliar with The Centers’ proposal.

On Tuesday, Moore encouraged the rest of the commission to meet with The Centers’ staff to learn more about the project.

Powell said he plans to brief the board individually in the coming week and believes, given the commission’s past support for The Centers, they can be convinced to OK the letter backing the grant.

In September 2011, The New York Times reported on telepsychiatry, noting it was increasingly gaining acceptance with mental health professionals — especially those with patients in hospitals, prisons, veterans’ facilities and rural clinics. Many patients can be treated in their own living rooms.

All that is needed, typically, is video-conferencing technology so the doctor and the patient can see each other.

Powell noted that some technology can be configured so the doctor can see the patient’s body, thus picking up on body language rather than simply trying to analyze a “talking head.”

On its website, the American Psychiatric Association observes, “Overall, telepsychiatry provides increased access to services and has helped enhance the provision of services to families with children and other patients who are homebound. Patients participating in telepsychiatry say they are satisfied with the care they are receiving and that they feel telepsychiatry is a reliable form of practice.”

Powell said during his more than 30 years in the mental health field, the most common complaints expressed are a lack of access or proper care and inadequate transportation.

Telepsychiatry, or telemedicine as it is also known, can effectively address those issues and other concerns, Powell said.

“Studies have shown that a lot of people are more comfortable, especially if they’re very paranoid. They don’t have to come into an appointment with loads of people around and all the bells and whistles going off,” he said.

He recalled recently attending a professional conference in Nevada, where the growth of telepsychiatry dominated much of the discussion.

“I kept hearing, ‘If you’re not on the train, it’s already left the station.’ I’m on this train. I’m just trying to go further,” Powell said.

<p>The community's leading mental health treatment facility is seeking federal help to keep patients away, so to speak.</p><p>The Centers seeks a grant to help fund a move toward telepsychiatry, wherein patients could be treated via computer within their own homes or in other locations.</p><p>That would be in lieu of visiting the clinic in person, something many patients find burdensome, if not troubling, according to Charles R. Powell, executive director of The Centers.</p><p>Powell said the agency wants to apply for an infrastructure grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The funding would help pay for new computers and related equipment.</p><p>Powell estimated as much as $40,000 would be needed to launch the program. But it is unclear how much the federal government would have available until the application is actually submitted, he added.</p><p>One component needed to apply is the support of the County Commission.</p><p>Powell said the USDA requires the backing of local government as part of a 19-point application checklist.</p><p>Commissioner David Moore has advocated in two recent meetings that the board approve a letter of support.</p><p>A draft of the correspondence points out that the sheer size of Marion County, and the lack of a far-reaching public transportation network, leaves many low-income residents without regular access to mental health care.</p><p>“Research has ... demonstrated that problems of rural and nonmetropolitan areas are unique and created by low population density, limited economic/employment opportunities, diverse cultures and levels of poverty. Certainly Marion County is familiar with these challenges,” the draft letter states.</p><p>The USDA's grant would help “put important, new technology into place and provide services to rural residents more effectively and efficiently. These services are critical to Marion County's positive development and the health care of rural residents. Specifically, the age of telepsychiatry and e-therapy is arriving with less expensive technology becoming rapidly available to implement these services.”</p><p>So far, the request has stalled because the rest of the commission was unfamiliar with The Centers' proposal.</p><p>On Tuesday, Moore encouraged the rest of the commission to meet with The Centers' staff to learn more about the project.</p><p>Powell said he plans to brief the board individually in the coming week and believes, given the commission's past support for The Centers, they can be convinced to OK the letter backing the grant.</p><p>In September 2011, The New York Times reported on telepsychiatry, noting it was increasingly gaining acceptance with mental health professionals — especially those with patients in hospitals, prisons, veterans' facilities and rural clinics. Many patients can be treated in their own living rooms.</p><p>All that is needed, typically, is video-conferencing technology so the doctor and the patient can see each other.</p><p>Powell noted that some technology can be configured so the doctor can see the patient's body, thus picking up on body language rather than simply trying to analyze a “talking head.”</p><p>On its website, the American Psychiatric Association observes, “Overall, telepsychiatry provides increased access to services and has helped enhance the provision of services to families with children and other patients who are homebound. Patients participating in telepsychiatry say they are satisfied with the care they are receiving and that they feel telepsychiatry is a reliable form of practice.”</p><p>Powell said during his more than 30 years in the mental health field, the most common complaints expressed are a lack of access or proper care and inadequate transportation.</p><p>Telepsychiatry, or telemedicine as it is also known, can effectively address those issues and other concerns, Powell said.</p><p>“Studies have shown that a lot of people are more comfortable, especially if they're very paranoid. They don't have to come into an appointment with loads of people around and all the bells and whistles going off,” he said.</p><p>He recalled recently attending a professional conference in Nevada, where the growth of telepsychiatry dominated much of the discussion.</p><p>“I kept hearing, 'If you're not on the train, it's already left the station.' I'm on this train. I'm just trying to go further,” Powell said.</p><p><i>Contact Bill Thompson at 867-4117 or bill.thompson@starbanner.com.</i></p>